


Melting Point

by selinakyle47



Category: Tiger & Bunny
Genre: F/M, First Time, Multi, Porn With Plot, Threesome - F/M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-30
Updated: 2013-11-30
Packaged: 2018-01-03 00:17:48
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,587
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1063411
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/selinakyle47/pseuds/selinakyle47
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What will it take for Karina to finally act on her attraction to Kotetsu?  And how does Barnaby fit into all of this?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Written in response to a prompt on the T&B Anon Meme. Originally published on FFN Oct 2013.

_And look who's first to arrive on the scene! Blue Rose has been icing her competition and is on track to be this season's Queen of Heroes. Let's see what's she going to do next!_

Karina surveyed the abandoned warehouse, looking for the easiest way in. She could use Wild Tiger's preferred method of entry and smash through the loading doors but the thought of paying all those damage fines (not to mention the resulting lectures from the Titan higher-ups) was not at all appealing. Thankfully, she spied an open window two stories up. With Tiger and Barnaby still several minutes away, Karina estimated that she had enough time to capture the suspects before they could even roll in on the double chaser.

She used her ice to launch herself upwards, swinging her legs through the window and landing quietly on the catwalk bolted to the wall. Karina peered over the railing. Directly below her was a long table, its surface covered with multiple packets filled with some kind of white material. More importantly, there was no sign of the suspected drug dealers, which meant that her presence continued to remain unnoticed. She leaped over the railing and skated down to the ground level on an thin ice bridge. There was still no movement or sound from the darker recesses inside the warehouse and Karina allowed herself a small smile as she contemplated an easy arrest and quick end to her night.

She really should've known better. 

If she hadn't been looking in that direction, she wouldn't have caught the brief flash of light (later she'd learn that it was the light bouncing off the long barrel of a shotgun). Karina barely had time to shoot a stream of solid ice towards the suspects. As the ice passed over the table, its jagged edges sliced open the packets, sending a thick cloud of white powder into the air. Startled, Karina breathed it in before she realized her mistake. She counted five heart-pounding seconds before exhaling in relief when there didn't seem to be any immediate effect on her. Glancing down at herself, she noted that her suit was covered with a light dusting of that white powder. Panicking a bit, she hurried over to where she'd frozen the suspects to the wall and carefully checked her reflection in the ice. 

Karina heaved a sigh of relief. The powder was light enough that it wouldn't be picked up by the cameras. She had just brushed off the worst of it when the door to the warehouse was wrenched off its hinges with a loud, grating noise. As the searchlights from the helicopters landed on her, she turned towards the cameras, ignoring Tiger's loudly uttered "Aw crap, we're late!" and purred, "My ice may be a little cold..."

 

_And now for the boring part,_ thought Karina as the lights shut off and the helicopters moved away from the building. Law enforcement personnel began streaming in through the open doorway: police officers with their service weapons out, followed by techs ready to process the crime scene. While waiting for someone to take her statement, she strolled over to the table and swiped a gloved finger along the surface. Bringing it to her face, she cautiously sniffed but couldn't detect any kind of scent. "What is this stuff?" she asked no one in particular.

"A new street drug. Apparently it's very popular with the high school crowd." 

Karina found Barnaby standing near her, hands planted on armored hips and faceplate pushed up. He turned away from observing the techs carefully bagging the evidence and focused his attention on her. "I'm surprised you're not familiar with it, seeing as you're a high school kid yourself." 

On the surface it seemed like a mild comment. After all she was still two months away from graduation. It was the brief smirk that accompanied his statement that stung her. Made her see red. "I'm not a kid, Bunny," she corrected him with an angry toss of her head, relishing the slight narrowing of his eyes as she used his nickname. Before he could say anything else, a hand landed heavily on her shoulder.

"That's right! Your birthday was a month ago." Wild Tiger flipped up his faceplate and Karina was treated to the wide, open grin that never failed to set off a fluttering sensation in her belly and leave her slightly breathless. "Hope you got to spend it with someone special," he added with a wink. 

_I didn't, but maybe we could go out for a drink later and you can help me celebrate._

She could say the words out loud. She was eighteen, after all. Finally an adult. And it was perfectly normal for one adult to ask another out on a date. He'd even given her the right opening. The only thing left was for her to take it. Her lips parted and Karina looked into Tiger's eyes. 

Eyes that regarded her with warmth and friendly affection, but nothing more. And just like that, reality asserted itself.

Flustered, she looked away to hide the blush spreading across her cheeks. "I don't need anyone special. I'm too busy for that." Karina tried for a deliberately casual tone of voice, hoping that Tiger wouldn't catch on to her misguided attempt at revealing her feelings to him. 

However, she really didn't have to worry; Tiger remained his usual oblivious self. "Rose, you're too young to live like that. You gotta get out more," he admonished her as he strolled over to join his partner. That earned an eye roll from her though there was no real heat behind the gesture. She'd come to tolerate some of Tiger's meddling, even when it wasn't in the direction she would've preferred. 

When Karina felt composed enough to face him, she turned back to the duo. And realized, as her stomach seemed to drop away from her, that she'd been too transparent for one person. Barnaby was watching her closely, an eyebrow quirked upward in an unspoken challenge. 

Her fingers curled into her palms. _Don't you dare say anything..._

Thankfully, one of the police officers came up to them before she could freeze his mouth shut. "Sorry to interrupt, Miss Blue Rose. We're ready for your statement now." Without a word to either Tiger or Barnaby, she gave the officer her full attention and provided him with the information needed to complete his report. By the time she'd finished, both of them had already left. 

Karina wasn't sure if she should feel relieved or disappointed. 

*****

The first sign that something wasn't quite right was when she took off her hero suit inside her transport. As her hands brushed over her bare breasts, heat spiked between her thighs and her knees buckled slightly. "What the hell?" Karina said out loud as she placed a hand against her dressing table to steady herself. The strange sensation continued to build, and by the time she'd gotten into her civilian clothes, she was truly worried. Her legs were shaking so much that she could hardly stand. She felt so very hot that even activating her power did nothing to cool her off. And there was that vague sense of need that coiled around her gut and set her heartbeat racing.

Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, Karina tapped her call band and spoke to the driver as calmly as possible. "Could..." She swallowed thickly and tried again. "Could you turn around and drop me off at Justice Tower?"


	2. Chapter 2

Getting out of the transporter was a bit tricky. Karina nearly stumbled on the last step and had to reassure the anxious driver that she was alright, and that she was just going to catch a cab home after retrieving a forgotten item from her locker. Due to the late hour, the building was practically empty and she was able to reach the training center without incident.

Once the door slid shut behind her, Karina collapsed to the floor, unable to hold herself up anymore. She'd tried to make sense of what was happening to her but her mind felt like it was sinking in honey and she could hardly string together her thoughts in any coherent fashion. The drug was the cause, that much was clear. However, as she didn't know anything about it, there wasn't much she could do on her own. 

The only thing that she could do was to find somewhere safe. Somewhere she could be alone, and ride out the drug's effects undisturbed. Seeking medical help was the better course of action, but Karina couldn't even bring herself to call her parents. The problem she was having was too embarrassing and even thinking about it made her want to freeze herself in a block of ice and never thaw out.

It was more than the heat that was raging through her. Every single nerve ending on her body felt raw, so much that any sensation, from the slide of her clothes on her skin to the contraction of her muscles as she shifted position sent sparks of electricity racing along her limbs. And when she pressed her thighs together...

_A cold shower, that's what I need._

And with that new goal, Karina pushed off the door and began dragging herself to the locker room. It seemed like a good idea to take her clothes off too, so she did, leaving a trail of items behind her. But Karina only made it to the lounge area before she finally dropped to her knees and leaned against a cushioned bench. All she had on now was a stocking rolled halfway down her calf and her panties. And it was becoming much more difficult to ignore the waves of arousal rippling through her. 

Her breasts felt deliciously full, her nipples stiff and aching. Karina lifted her hand, fingers trailing over too-warm skin before dipping between her thighs and underneath her panties. She couldn't believe how wet she was, and every stroke of her fingers against her clit only seemed to feed the heat that threatened to consume her.

She moaned softly, her mind going instantly to the one person who'd been the focus of her fantasies for the past two years. "Kotetsu..." 

She couldn't believe it how close she was. She just needed a little something more to push her over the edge. Karina imagined Kotetsu watching her touch herself. Imagined his voice, husky with desire, calling her name.

_Blue Rose..._

She shook her head. No, that wasn't quite right, he would never call her by her hero name. Though his voice sounded so very real--

Awareness filtered through her a second too late.

Karina threw out an arm, intending to raise an ice wall around her to hide herself. Instead all she could manage was a thin sheet of frost on the surface of the floor. _Great. Maybe they'll slip and hit their heads_ , she thought bitterly. Of course, Kotetsu and Barnaby would be the ones to find her in such a humiliating state. She wondered briefly what she'd done to piss off the universe entirely.

Tucking her legs under her, she wrapped both arms around her bare breasts in an attempt at modesty. "S-s-stay back," she managed to stutter out as she watched them warily from behind a veil of honey-blonde hair.

"Blue Rose...Karina...are you...uh...naked?" Kotetsu ventured hesitantly, his eyes averted to the posters on the wall behind her.

"Well that's a stupid question. Do you need glasses old man? Of course she's naked."

"Hey! I'm trying to be a gentleman here. And don't stare at her, it's not polite," Kotetsu snapped at him as he jabbed a finger at his partner.

Barnaby shook his head in exasperation. "And how are we supposed to help her if we can't look at her."

His mouth opened and closed in rapid succession, making him look like a particularly dumbfounded fish. Finally, Kotetsu opted for a "Hmmph!" before turning once again to Karina. His expression wavered between concern and embarrassment as he tentatively approached her. When he was just an arm's length away, he crouched down beside her, his eyes firmly fixed on a point just to the right of her ear.

"Karina," he repeated her name gently. "Can you tell us what's going on? This isn't like you..." he broke off uncertainly and Karina finished the thought for him. "To be masturbating in the middle of the training room? Yeah, that doesn't happen every day," she added, her bitter laugh ending on a choked moan as the heat pulsed between her legs.

Kotetsu began to reach for her. "What's--"

"The drugs in the warehouse." Karina slowly raised her head and found herself pinned by an intense green gaze for the second time that night. "Somehow it got into your system," he stated in a matter of fact manner, pushing his glasses up his nose. "I noticed that some of it was loose and scattered around the table."

Karina shut her eyes and sagged against the edge of the cushioned bench. "Didn't mean to breathe it in. But it was just for a few seconds. It wasn't like I snorted it."

"Interesting. The effects are usually euphoric in nature." Barnaby paused for a moment, his gaze flickering from her to Kotetsu before continuing. "There've been some reports of increased...ah...stimulation though not as debilitating as what you're apparently experiencing. I'm not sure why your symptoms are more severe. Maybe the drugs affect NEXTs differently."

Kotetsu dismissed his speech with a wave of his hand. "We don't have time to analyze the situation. We have to get her to a doctor!"

"No!" Karina's loud outburst startled everyone including herself. "No," she repeated a bit more calmly. "I don't want to see a doctor and I don't want to go home. It's bad enough that you guys are here. I don't need anyone else to see me like this." She breathed in deeply, then directed a question at Barnaby. "How long do the effects typically last?" 

He adjusted his glasses again before answering her. "A few hours usually. Shouldn't be more than a day even for a NEXT."

"Okay." She nodded slowly. "I'll just...stay here until the drug wears off. " She gave both of them a faint smile that was meant to be encouraging enough for them to leave her alone. "Shouldn't be too hard, right?"

Apparently they weren't too impressed with her plan. "What? Are you crazy?" Kotetsu yelled at her, making his opinion quite clear. "You can't stay here. At least let us take you somewhere safer if you don't want to go home or to a hospital." He rocked back on his heels and scratched at his beard as he mulled the question over in his mind. Finally his eyes lit up. "I know! Let's take her back to your place, Bunny!"

His suggestion was met with a frown. "Why mine? Why not yours?"

"Because yours is closer!"

"I'll bet the real reason is that you haven't cleaned up the beer bottles from the last time I was over."

Kotetsu shook a fist at him. "Just shut up and help me get her dressed." Spots of color bloomed on his cheeks as he realized just what he had to do to make that happen.

He turned to her again. "Karina, can you put your clothes back on?"

She barely heard the question. While the two of them were bickering over what to do with her, her arousal continued to build and it took all of her concentration to not lose herself in front of them again. He had to repeat himself and the request to move did not sit well with her. 

"I don't want to," she whined as she curled into herself, remembering how her clothes chafed horribly against her skin.

Barnaby started walking away. "Stay with her, Kotetsu. I'll go look for a blanket or towel in one of the locker rooms. We can just wrap her up if she's incapable of getting dressed."

Eventually he returned with a blanket, and with Kotetsu's help, managed to drape it around her securely. As Kotetsu tried to tuck the edges in, his hand accidentally brushed across her shoulder blade. Karina let out a sharp gasp and flinched. "Did I hurt you?" he asked in alarm.

Karina shook her head. No, he hadn't hurt her but maybe pain was better than what she was feeling right now, which was a strong desire to arch into his touch. "I-It's okay...my skin's a little sensitive."

Barnaby squatted down next to her. "Karina," he said and the low, soothing tone he used took her by surprise. She'd heard him speak like that with the civilians he'd rescued but she'd never been on the receiving end of it until this moment. "I'm going to pick you up now. Let me know if you feel any discomfort, alright?" 

She nodded wordlessly and felt herself being lifted into his arms. Karina hadn't realized that she was holding herself stiffly until he chuckled above her, his breath gently ruffling her hair. "Relax. I won't bite. It'll be easier for me to carry you if you tuck your head in."

"O-Oh. Okay," she stammered past suddenly dry lips and laid her head against his chest. The faint sound of his heartbeat and the murmur of conversation around her was oddly comforting, and for the first time in hours Karina felt safe. Although her body still thrummed with need, it didn't seem as intense as it was before.

She didn't even fight off the exhaustion that settled over her and slowly let her eyelids drift shut.


	3. Chapter 3

Kotetsu had a tendency to fill in awkward moments with inane chatter. Barnaby had gotten used to his partner's irritating habit and had mostly tuned out Kotetsu's monologue on the stubbornness of "today's youth" when he felt Karina's head slipping lower on his chest. He adjusted his hold on her, and when she didn't even make a whimper at the movement, Barnaby finally glanced down.

"Huh! Will you look at that," Kotetsu remarked as he peeked over his shoulder. "Out like a light. Poor kid."

Barnaby thought that he might have agreed with calling Karina a kid a few hours ago. Not now though. Not when he could feel the curves of her body through the thin fabric of the blanket they'd wrapped her in. Not when the image of her, on her knees, her fingers between her thighs, was still burned into his mind. 

He tore his gaze away from her and stared grimly at hallway in front of him. His jeans were starting to feel uncomfortably tight, and if he continued along this train of thought he'd have to ask Kotetsu to carry her instead.

No, he definitely did not have a kid in his arms. His eyes strayed to Kotetsu, who was just a step ahead of him and gesturing wildly as he recounted all of the times he'd nearly fallen asleep on the job. Barnaby was baffled by how his partner could remain so blind to Karina's interest in him when it was painfully clear to everyone else. Although...

As Barnaby listened more closely, he detected that forced quality in his speech, a sure sign that he was hiding something. He made a mental note to ask his partner about it later, after they'd resolved this situation with Karina.

As it turned out, it was Karina herself who forced the issue out in the open, though she did so unknowingly. While he was laying her down in the backseat of Kotetsu's car, she stirred unexpectedly, her hand reaching out to grab the sleeve of his jacket.

"Kotetsu...want...you..." she whispered, and it was clear from the pleading note in her voice what it was she was dreaming of. Barnaby looked over at his partner, who had blushed bright red from his ridiculous beard up to the edge of his striped cap and was pointedly staring at the ground. Seeing no help from him, Barnaby gently pried her fingers loose and wrapped the blanket tightly around her as best as he could in the cramped space. Karina sighed softly but did not wake. Once he made sure that it was as secure as it could be, he shut the car door and took his place in the front passenger seat.

He waited until Kotetsu slid into the driver's seat and started the car before saying anything. 

"I thought you said she wasn't a kid anymore."

His partner shot him a sour look as he maneuvered the car out of the parking garage. "I meant kid-kid. Karina's an adult-kid...not an adult-adult...like me and you and everyone else."

"As usual, you're not making any sense."

Kotetsu didn't reply immediately. The car slowed down to a stop at the traffic light, the harsh glare illuminating the lines of tension around his mouth. He waited until it had turned green and the car was moving again before speaking. "Look," he said, his tone heavy with resignation, "I knew she had a thing for me. So it took me a while to figure it out, but I eventually did. I'm not a complete idiot, you know."

Barnaby bit his tongue and chose not to respond.

With one hand on the wheel, Kotetsu reached up with the other and tugged nervously at the edge of his cap. "I thought that if I didn't say or do anything to encourage her, she'd move on." He shook his head and sighed heavily. "Guess I was wrong."

"Wouldn't be the first time," Barnaby said dryly, ignoring the rude gesture aimed at him from the driver's seat.

A soft rustle from the back interrupted them. He glanced at Karina's reflection in the rear-view mirror. The blanket had somehow come loose from around her shoulders, leaving her naked from the waist up. His eyes lingered on her curves of her breasts before sliding up to her lush mouth, which was slightly parted in sleep. Her lips looked invitingly soft, and Barnaby wondered how they might feel against his mouth, or maybe wrapped around─

He shut his eyes and let his head fall back against the headrest. What the hell was wrong with him? He'd seen Karina strut around in her Blue Rose costume numerous times without once being distracted, even though it was made specifically for that purpose. Then again, he hadn't seen her as anything other than a silly little schoolgirl, her prickly temper and hopeless crush making her easy to dismiss. 

Until tonight anyway. Barnaby wasn't entirely sure that he could treat her in the same manner he'd always had. Something had changed, he could feel it, a restlessness diffusing through his limbs, and he wondered if Kotetsu felt the same way.

Before he could reflect on the strange triangle they'd found themselves in, Barnaby heard a hushed intake of breath from his left. Opening his eyes, he found Kotetsu also watching Karina through the mirror. At least it's not just me, he thought, a smirk curling along the edge of his lips. 

Out loud he said, "Eyes on the road, old man."

Kotetsu quickly whipped his head around and stuttered out a denial. "I- I wasn't-- And you--" The car's engine rumbled loudly as his foot hit the accelerator a little too hard in his excitement. He made a sharp, dismissive motion with his hand. "Whatever. It's not like I'm the only pervert in this car." He watched Barnaby out of the corner of his eye. "Don't think I haven't noticed you staring at her all night."

Barnaby arched an eyebrow in response. "So what if I were? Didn't you just say that Karina's an adult?"

"Yeah, she is. A smart, attractive young woman who's got the whole world in front of her. And if I were fifteen years younger..." Kotetsu's voice trailed off, and Barnaby noted the touch of regret in his words. But then he shook his head, as if he were trying to deny something. "Doesn't matter. She's too young, Bunny." Kotetsu paused before adding, "For either one of us."

Barnaby considered that statement. "So...even if she wanted to..."

"She's not herself," Kotetsu stated firmly. "And this conversation should stop. It's too creepy to talk about her when she's passed out in the back."

Recognizing that he wasn't going to get anything else out of Kotetsu at that moment, Barnaby turned away to watch the empty streets of Stern Bild recede in the distance. A brooding silence fell over the car's interior, broken now and then by the sound of Karina's faint, sleepy sighs.


	4. Chapter 4

_Karina couldn't move. Her arms were pulled above her head, held together by invisible bonds. Her legs ─ wasn't she wearing underwear before? ─ were splayed apart, leaving her vulnerable. Exposed._

_Panic coiled along her gut, and she began to struggle against the unseen bindings. However, it didn't take long for her to realize that her body was working against her. Her arousal spiked with every movement until she couldn't tell if her breathless pants were from physical exertion or from her need for release._

_She had to free herself...she couldn't take any more..._

"Karina! Snap out of it!"

The sharp order pierced through the haze of lust that dulled her brain and shocked her back into consciousness. As her eyelids fluttered open, Kotetsu's face, amber eyes wide with concern, swam into view.

"What..." Karina began to say when she noticed the fine icicles hanging off his hair. She became instantly aware of other sensations: smooth leather sliding against the skin of her stomach, the bite of a zipper against her back, the fading blue glow of her NEXT power. She looked down and discovered Barnaby sprawled on the floor beneath her. His arm, which was hooked around her waist, was crusted over with a thin layer of ice, some of which had started to break off and fall to the carpet. 

Karina practically threw herself off him, more ice cracking as they separated, but couldn't get very far because of the blanket tangled around her legs. "I'm so- sorry...I haven't lost control like that in forever," she stammered as she wrestled with the blanket in an attempt to cover herself. Realizing how absolutely useless that would be -- they'd probably seen almost everything by now-- Karina sullenly kicked it away and wrapped her arms around herself instead. 

Kotetsu extended a hand to his partner and helped him haul himself up off the floor. Barnaby shook off the last of the ice onto the carpet. "Don't worry about it. I'll be okay." He examined the puddles forming on his floor. "Maybe I should get a towel for that," he said and left the living room in search of one, leaving her alone. 

With Kotetsu.

Before tonight Karina would've been ecstatic to find herself in such a situation. Now she could barely look at him as he approached her, choosing instead to stare at his shoes. "Can I get you anything, Karina?" he asked kindly. 

She was about to shake her head when she suddenly became aware of her parched throat. "Maybe something to drink?" she offered and felt her heart lift a little at his enthusiastic "You got it!" 

As Kotetsu disappeared through the doorway leading to what she presumed was the kitchen, Karina let her gaze wander over to the floor-to-ceiling windows that formed the south wall of the apartment. Stern Bild's glittering skyline was as magnificent as always, but she found that it couldn't distract her from the confusing tangle of emotions that battered her. Or from the raw need that throbbed between her legs.

_Sometimes you just need a good fucking._

She'd heard Nathan say that to Antonio once, when they'd both thought that she and Pao-Lin were out of earshot. Innocent that she was then (and still, if one wanted to be technical about it), Karina hadn't understood what he'd meant. Nor could she have imagined that it would ever apply to her.

And yet, here she was. In desperate need of a good fucking.

With a weak groan, Karina buried her face in her arms. It would have been better if Kotetsu and Barnaby had left her in the training center. The longer she was around them, the more she could feel her control slipping away. And she couldn't afford another repeat of what happened earlier with Barnaby. 

Heat spread across her cheeks as she remembered waking up from that disturbing dream and feeling him under her, so warm and real. The craving to feel every inch of that body on hers was so strong that she'd started to grind her hips against his before she regained her sanity and tore herself away. She wasn't sure if he'd noticed her wanton behavior. She hoped that he hadn't.

At the sound of soft footsteps, Karina raised her head and saw that Barnaby had returned, without his jacket and carrying a bundle in his hands. He dropped a thick towel on top of the wet carpet and then walked over to her. Holding out what appeared to be a black t-shirt, he said, "Kotetsu was supposed to bring up your things but..." One shoulder lifted in a lazy shrug. "You know how he can be sometimes. I thought you might be more comfortable in this."

Karina stared at the offering for a few seconds before reaching out to take it from him, her fingers brushing briefly against his. "Thanks," she murmured as she sat up and lifted the shirt over head. Just as she had pulled it down past her chin, she happened to peek up at him and her breath caught on a silent gasp.

For a moment she thought it was a trick of the light reflecting off the lenses of his glasses. After all, there couldn't be any other explanation for what she'd just seen: Barnaby's eyes, bright and hot with desire, before those sinfully long lashes came down and that cool, appraising look was back in place. 

Stunned, Karina didn't even notice that Kotetsu had finally reappeared until she found a glass half-filled with a golden-brown liquid shoved under her nose. "You probably wanted water but trust me, this is better." After she accepted it from him, he handed a second tumbler to Barnaby and splashed a more generous amount into it, declaring, "And I didn't forget you, partner!" 

She was still eyeing the glass with suspicion when Kotetsu turned back to her. "It's brandy. Go on," he encouraged her with a nod. "We won't tell anyone," he added with a wink, obviously referring to the fact that she was still under the legal age for drinking. Behind him, Barnaby rolled his eyes as he slowly sipped at his drink.

"Um...okay." She lifted it to her lips and took a tiny sip. Even that small amount was enough to burn the back of her throat and she began to cough. 

"Hmm...I thought the good stuff was supposed to go down smoother." Kotetsu dropped down next to her on top step of the living room floor and examined the label on bottle. He turned and flashed her a rueful smile, no hint of the earlier awkwardness in his expression. "Want a glass of wine instead? Bunny's got this Gerversa-something. It's supposed to be sweet."

"Gewürztraminer," his partner corrected him. "And you're not going to chug that down are you?" Barnaby added in an accusatory tone as Kotetsu raised the bottle to his mouth.

"Less glassware to wash." He grinned in response to Barnaby's disapproving glare. "Cheers!" He threw his head back and practically poured the contents down his throat.

"You're supposed to sip that, you know."

Kotetsu wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "Tastes the same either way. So, Karina. Wine or brandy?"

"I'm fine with this," she said, giving him a weak smile. To prove her point, she took another sip and was silently relieved when she didn't have another coughing fit. With Kotetsu and Barnaby nursing their respective drinks in silence, the atmosphere inside the apartment was almost cozy. Peaceful, even. 

Unlike the inside of her head, which was churning with questions that she felt almost physically dizzy just thinking about them. For one thing, she was still in the dark about what happened earlier, how she ended up on the floor with Barnaby. And the way he gazed at her...could she have said something while she'd been asleep?

Suddenly, she realized that Kotetsu had been speaking while she was preoccupied with her thoughts. "I gotta admit, I was really worried there for a second. I thought the neighbors were gonna call 911 on us when you started yelling in your sleep," he said after another long swig from the bottle.

"...I don't remember much of anything," she admitted as she stared into the glass cradled tightly in her hands. Other than that dream, she thought but they didn't need to know about that. 

"You started thrashing around in my arms as soon as we got inside," Barnaby said as he finished off his brandy. He knelt down and picked up the damp towel. "You caught me by surprise and I...well, I'm embarrassed to say I lost my balance. There wasn't much I could do to stop us from going down. I tried not to crush you, but if I did, I'm sorry."

Karina could only stare at him in amazement. When was the last time she'd heard him apologize? For anything? "Are you serious? I should be the one apologizing for giving you frostbite."

Lifting his hand, he held it out to her and flexed his fingers one by one. "No harm done, as you can see." He pushed off to his feet and headed for the kitchen, empty glass and towel hanging from undamaged fingers. On the way he paused by Kotetsu and plucked the bottle out of his loose grasp. "That's not how you enjoy a two hundred dollar bottle of cognac."

"Fine, get me one of those Belgian beers then. I know you still have a few hanging around."

"And he suddenly develops a palate," was Barnaby's parting shot as he left.

"Jackass," Kotetsu grumbled affectionately as he fell back on his elbows, arms splayed to each side, his fingers nearly touching her uncovered thigh. 

Karina was deeply conscious of the few inches separated them. If she twisted her body around she could fit herself against his shoulder, rub her cheek against the light stubble on his jaw. The urge to lean closer and taste the skin at the hollow of his throat was frightening in its intensity. She couldn't stay this close to Kotetsu, not if she wanted to maintain any semblance of a friendship with him. 

_Because that's all you're going to be to him and you should get used to it._

She didn't realize that she'd actually reached out and touched his hand until she heard Kotetsu say her name. "Karina?"

She was prepared to pull back, to play it off as a side-effect of the brandy. It was her first time consuming anything stronger than champagne. He would have bought it. 

Setting her glass aside, Karina turned to him. His eyes, warm as ever, held a touch of amusement as he cocked his head and waited to hear her out. "I..." She swallowed thickly, the tip of her tongue darting out to lick her lips. 

His gaze dropped down to her mouth and lingered for a few seconds flicking back up to her eyes. It was a small gesture, but it was enough. The desire simmering in the pit of her stomach roared to life, burning away any of her previous doubts.

With a sigh, Karina gave in and leaned forward to press her lips to his.


	5. Chapter 5

Contrary to popular belief, Kotetsu did not always make his decisions on the fly. He'd even planned out how to handle Karina in the event that she finally got up the nerve to confess her crush to him. He was going to let her down gently and reassure her that they were going to remain friends. That nothing was going to change between them.

The only problem was that all of his carefully thought-out plans flew out of his head the moment Karina kissed him. Uncertain of what to do, Kotetsu held his breath and remained motionless. The tentative manner in which she traced the seam of his mouth with the tip of her tongue was incredibly arousing and Kotetsu found that he couldn't resist. Closing his eyes, he parted his lips and met her tongue with his, groaning as he finally got a taste of her, sweet and intoxicating as the brandy he'd been drinking earlier.

His response seemed to make her bolder. She deftly swung her leg over until she was straddling him, without once breaking their kiss. His hands immediately went to her waist, holding her steady as she rocked against him. 

Maybe it had been too long since he'd had any kind of intimate contact (and no, his hand didn't count). Kotetsu wasn't sure how else to explain the searing desire that ripped through him. The sounds Karina was making certainly wasn't helping things. Every whimper, every breathy little moan went straight to his cock; there was no hiding how damn hard he was right now.

His hands slid down from her waist to toy with the thin band of her flimsy underwear. It would be so easy to slip them off. To unzip his pants and free himself. To take what she was offering with her sweet, nubile body.

Much too easy. Which was why he had to gather up the frayed ends of his self-control and push her away. The flash of disappointment and hurt on Karina's face just gutted him, and Kotetsu had to remind himself that he was doing the right thing for her. 

"Kotetsu? Is something wrong?" she asked in a small voice, her brows knitting together in confusion.

He nervously scratched at the back of his neck, trying to come up with the right words. "Karina, we can't. You're too..." He faltered and tried to look away from her but she grabbed his chin in between her fingers and kept him from looking anywhere else but her.

"You were going to say young, right? Well I...I think that's bullshit."

Her heated declaration made him blink in surprise and he tried again. "Why would you want to be with a tired, old man like me? You should find someone who's just like you. Young. With a bright future that you can share together. Someone who's got more to offer you than faded dreams."

Sighing , Karina let her arms drop to her lap, her fingers picking at the edge of her shirt. Her voice was barely above a whisper. "Do you know how long I've had a crush on you?" She didn't wait for his answer. "Since I was sixteen. It wasn't like I wanted to like you. You're annoying, lame, and you stick your nose in things you don't have a right to."

"Gee, thanks," he muttered under his breath. 

Karina worried her bottom lip as she looked away from him. "When you retired I thought that maybe my crush on you would go away, that I wouldn't think about you as much. But you came back, and that's when I realized that my feelings were much stronger than I thought." Kotetsu could see the sheen of tears forming at the corners of her eyes, but before he could wipe them away, she'd already dabbed angrily at her face. "It doesn't matter to me that you're much older. I know what I want, and that's you." 

He watched her take a deep breath, as if she were steeling herself for something painful. Then her gaze returned to his, and Kotetsu was almost taken aback by the determination reflected in her lovely brown eyes. "Kotetsu, please. You can' t tell me that you don't feel anything. Not...not after that kiss. If you tell me that you don't want me, I'll...I'll leave you alone. All you need to do is tell me the truth."

The best thing he could've done was to lie. To let the words "I'm sorry, Karina, I just don't feel that way" trip off his tongue. But after that earnest little speech , Kotetsu couldn't find it in himself to break her heart, even if it was for her own good.

"Karina..." He murmured her name tenderly. Tucking a stray honey-blonde strand behind her ear, Kotetsu leaned forward to brush a gentle kiss against her forehead. "Any man would be lucky to have you in his life. And...there were times I wished that I could be that lucky man."

A voice, faintly amused, cut through the air and interrupted him. "Corny but truthful. I suppose it could be considered an improvement over lying."

Kotetsu jerked back in surprise and craned his neck, looking over his shoulder. "Bunny!" His partner was leaning against the wall, arms folded across his chest. His face betrayed nothing but mild interest. "Uh...were you there the whole time?"

A few seconds passed before Barnaby decided to answer. "Yes, Kotetsu, I saw everything."

He could feel Karina's fingers digging into his arm, as if she were expecting him to bolt away at any moment. He was actually trying to figure out how to discreetly slide her off his lap when, to his surprise, she lifted her chin defiantly and met Barnaby's piercing stare head-on. "Enjoy the show?" she asked, a challenge in her voice.

"Very much," he replied smoothly.

Kotetsu's head whipped wildly from side to side as he looked at each one of them in turn. "What are you two talking about?"

"Nothing," Barnaby huffed in exasperation as he pushed off the wall and crossed the room, obviously heading for his bedroom. "Try to keep it down. Some of us have early appointments tomorrow."

"But...Bunny, where are you going?" 

Barnaby eventually came to a stop but didn't turn around. "I don't think I'm needed here. This is between you and Karina." Kotetsu knew his partner well enough to pick up on the curious and subtle mix of irritation and disappointment coming off him. Even though he wanted nothing more than to pick up where he and Karina had left off, he wasn't going to do anything that would make Barnaby uncomfortable in his own home. He was just about to reassure him of that when Karina suddenly jumped to her feet.

"It doesn't have to be." 

It took a while for her words to sink in, and when they did, Kotetsu was somewhat relieved that he was already sitting down, as he was sure that he would've fallen over in shock. He risked a peek at Barnaby, who looked as equally stunned as he was, with his eyes wide open and jaw slightly hanging. Rarely was his partner rendered speechless and he regretted not having his phone handy to capture the moment.

Blushing furiously, Karina wrapped her arms around herself as she gazed down at Kotetsu. "I...I mean...I know how important Barnaby is to you," she told him, her voice trembling slightly. "I wouldn't want anything to happen to your partnership because of me. So..." Her eyes flicked over to Barnaby, who had apparently recovered and was silently watching her, mouth set in a thin line. "If you want to, we could...the three of us..." She trailed off as she glanced hopefully at them. When neither he nor Barnaby said a word, Karina groaned and buried her face in her hands. "You're going to make me say it, aren't you? Fine." She heaved a long-suffering sigh and spoke directly to the floor. "I want. To have sex. With both of you."

The silence in the room that greeted her statement was so thick that one could have heard the proverbial pin drop. Or in this case, the _click_ of Barnaby's glasses as he pulled them off and cleaned them with the hem of his shirt. "That was probably the most awkward proposition I've received."

Karina let out an inarticulate scream of frustration as she pulled her arm back and began to glow blue. Deciding that it was probably a good time to intervene, Kotetsu hurriedly positioned himself between them before she could throw one of her ice daggers at Barnaby.

"He was just teasing!" he reassured Karina. To Barnaby he said, "Be nice." Turning back to her, Kotetsu asked," Are you sure you want to do this? I mean, this would be your first time, right?" The blush that had disappeared during her angry outburst returned, confirming his suspicion. "You don't think it would be too...I don't know...weird? With two guys?"

"I wouldn't have suggested it if I wasn't okay with it." She offered him a small, tentative smile. "I think it might be fun."

Hearing a snort of disbelief behind him, Kotetsu whipped around and asked Barnaby, "What about you?"

Green eyes flickered from him to Karina and back. "You know you can't do anything right without me," he responded with a smirk. 

"Smartass," Kotetsu shot back. Shoving his hands in his pockets, he turned over Karina's suggestion in his head. It was beyond anything he'd ever experienced. Hell, he never even imagined that he would be in a situation like this. However, he couldn't deny that he wasn't interested. He only had to look down to see evidence of that.

"Well if we're going to do this, we're doing to do it right," he said, returning Karina's smile and holding out his hand. Her face brightened, her eyes nearly luminous with delight as she placed her hand in his. He suddenly pulled her towards him, silencing the small noise of surprise that escaped from her with a quick, hard kiss. His arm draped around her waist, he began heading for the bedroom. As he passed Barnaby, he slung his other arm around his partner's shoulder. 

Grinning, he told them, "C'mon, my old bones need something softer than this carpet."


	6. Chapter 6

It was still difficult to believe that this was all happening. That Karina wasn't in another drug-induced hallucination. That Kotetsu was really in front of her, the dim light from Stern Bild's nighttime illumination highlighting the hard, muscular planes of his chest and abdomen. She was reminded of that night, nearly a year ago, and the conflicting emotions that raced through her at the sight of him rising up from the floor of the destroyed lab. Relief at the fact that he was alive. And a knee-weakening desire to touch him all over to make sure of that.

When he started sliding his pants down, she tried to ignore her lingering shyness by finding other things to do, like pulling off her shirt and tossing it to the side. She was about to take her panties off when Kotetsu stopped her. "Do you mind if I do that?" he asked with a sheepish grin. His erection was clearly outlined through his underwear and Karina could feel an answering pulse of heat between her legs. She nodded silently as she leaned back on the bed, watching him approach from under her lashes.

As Kotetsu knelt and settled himself between her legs, Barnaby appeared at the edge of her vision. Unlike his partner, who still had his underwear on, he was completely naked. He seemed quite comfortable in his own skin, and Karina could easily see why. He was like a Greek statue come to life, perfection in every line and ridge of muscle rippling under smooth, pale skin. Pausing by Kotetsu's side, he tossed a ribbon of foil wrappers by his leg.

"Oh yeah, almost forgot," he said as he recognized them. "But why do you have condoms in the first place?"

"Is there a reason why I shouldn't have them?"

"I mean..." Kotetsu leaned back on his heels as he looked up at Barnaby. "You don't go out with anyone other than me. Why would you even need them?"

It was like she'd finally put the last piece of a puzzle in place; some things were a bit more clear to her now. Kotetsu, unfortunately, hadn't reached the same level of enlightenment that she did. Karina wanted to reach out and smack the back of his frustratingly oblivious head. It was clear that Barnaby wanted to do the same. "I told you before, I like being prepared," he said simply. "I assume you know what you're doing?"

"Thought I'd start with this." Kotetsu maneuvered her closer until her bottom was just hanging off the edge of the bed. Spreading her legs further apart, he leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on the inside of her knee. Karina shivered at the sensation that ripped through her. He continued to kiss and nibble his way along the skin of her inner thigh until he reached her panties. Drawing back, he slowly traced the edge of the fabric with a fingertip. Karina's sigh at the teasing caress turned into a gasp when Kotetsu hooked his fingers into the band and pulled them down her hips, past her legs until she was completely bare in front of him. 

Kotetsu remained silent for a few seconds. Anxiety began to twist around her gut and Karina was about to draw her legs together when he placed a hand on her thigh and gazed up at her, desire turning his eyes into a molten gold. "So beautiful," he whispered before his head bent down and Karina forgot how to breathe.

Nothing in her fantasies could have ever matched up to the feel of his mouth on her. Kotetsu lapped at her greedily, drawing out high-pitched cries from her with every flick of his tongue. Dimly, she felt the bed dip behind her and a warm weight settle against her back. Barnaby's arm wrapped around her, his hand gliding over her smooth skin before palming her breast. He teased a nipple, rolling and pinching the stiff peak between his fingers until Karina arched into his hand, aching for more. "Please," she sobbed out as she writhed between them, one hand tangled in Barnaby's soft, blond curls, the other buried in Kotetsu's dark hair. 

As if in response to her begging, Kotetsu concentrated his attention on her clit, gently sucking on the sensitive nub. With his other hand under her chin, Barnaby tipped up her face and slanted his mouth across hers, drinking in every moan and cry Kotetsu dragged out of her with his talented tongue. Karina felt as if she were teetering on an edge, her body desperate for the release denied to her earlier. When Barnaby released her mouth to pepper her neck with soft kisses, Karina sucked in a shaky breath. "Ko- Kotetsu...Barnaby...I need...oohhh..."

Her plea ended in a low moan as Kotetsu parted her slick folds and slid his finger inside her. Just as he pressed upward, he lightly scraped his teeth against her clit. Pleasure, sharp as a knife, washed over her, wave after wave until she felt like she was drowning in it. She clung to Barnaby as her orgasm ripped through her, turning her face into his shoulder and muffling her screams against his warm skin. He held her tight until her body stopped trembling and when she finally raised her head, she saw Kotetsu sitting back on his heels, wearing the self-satisfied smirk of a man who knew he'd done well.

"He's going to be impossible to deal with now," Barnaby murmured into her ear, punctuating his words with a light nip of her earlobe.

"You're just jealous of my awesome skills," Kotetsu gloated as he stood up and finally shucked off his underwear. As he tore off the edge of a foil packet and rolled the condom down the length of his cock, Barnaby edged away from Karina. She felt the loss of his warm body keenly, and she was about to pull him back when Kotetsu positioned himself between her thighs. With a sigh, Karina lay back on the bed, spreading her legs further, enough to allow him to press the head of his cock against her. 

His arms braced on either side of her, Kotetsu leaned down, brushing his lips softly against hers. "Let me know if it hurts, okay?" As he entered her slowly, Karina gasped at the strange sensation, unlike anything she'd ever felt before. It wasn't entirely unpleasant, more of a slight burn that soon gave way to a delicious feeling of fullness once Kotetsu was completely seated inside her. Wanting more, Karina raised her hips up and Kotetsu groaned out loud at the slight movement.

"Hnngghh...Karina...wait..." The muscles in his arms shifted under her fingertips as he struggled to hold still. "You're so tight...gimme a second..." He took a deep breath and then slowly let it out. "Okay, I think I've got it under control now." Her eyes fluttered shut when she felt him pull out, until just the tip of his cock was inside her. He thrust back in, the slow, steady pace he set stoking her arousal. To her surprise, heat began to spread once again through her body, though not as sharp or intense as before. 

She turned her head and when she opened her eyes, she saw Barnaby stroking his cock, his eyes tracking the movement of Kotetsu's hips. "Barnaby," she moaned out his name, her arm dropping away from Kotetsu's shoulder to reach for him. It didn't seem right that he was merely an observer. Not when she wanted him just as much as she wanted Kotetsu. She smiled as he shuffled closer to her on his knees and allowed her to wrap her fingers around his cock. She squeezed him gently, fascinated by warm, velvety feel of skin over an iron-like hardness. Even though she lacked experience, Karina had a vague idea of what to do from listening to her friends gossip at school. At the very least, she hoped that her enthusiasm could make up for any lack of finesse on her part. 

Since she couldn't take him deep into her mouth because of the position she was in, she mouthed the head of his cock instead, swirling her tongue around it. A rough groan above her indicated just how much Barnaby appreciated that. When she saw that he was watching her closely, Karina decided to give him a show. Holding his hungry gaze, she swiped her tongue along the underside of his cock, licking at the base before tracing the same route back up. Wrapping her lips around him, she sucked hard on the thick head as she slowly pumped her hand along the shaft. 

Kotetsu continued to drive into her, his thrusts becoming more uneven as she serviced Barnaby with her mouth. She felt a hand ─ she couldn't tell whom it belonged to ─ skim over her belly and dip between her legs to tease her clit. Moaning around the cock between her lips, Karina arched off the bed and clenched hard around Kotetsu. 

That was apparently too much for Barnaby. "Karina...too close," he gasped as he suddenly pulled away from her. A few short, rough strokes and he was spilling his seed over his fist, some of it streaking across her breasts. Curious, Karina gathered the drops on her fingers. Kotetsu thrust deep and held himself inside her as he watched with hooded eyes.

Her gaze flickered from him to Barnaby as she raised her fingers to her lips and sucked them clean. "Fuck...that was..." With a hoarse groan, Kotetsu pumped his hips one last time and collapsed on top of her. While she initially enjoyed the heavy weight of his body on hers, Karina wasn't about to let him crush her. She gently pushed at his shoulder and Kotetsu got the hint, chuckling as he rolled off and got up to dispose of the condom. 

When he returned, he handed a towel off to Barnaby and then flopped down to Karina's left side, his face buried against her shoulder. As he threw an arm around her, his palm accidentally brushed against her breast. Karina gasped out loud, unable to stop herself from leaning into his touch.

"Karina..." he groaned into her shoulder, even as he ran his thumb over the stiff peak. "Gimme an hour..."

"At your age, old man? Make that three."

"Shut up, Bunny! Like you're ready to go now."

"Actually, I am."

Kotetsu raised his head, disbelief turning into envy when he saw that Barnaby was indeed ready. "Damn youth," he muttered as he fell back. 

Turning Karina towards him, Barnaby cradled the back of her head and gently nipped at her lips. "Only If you want to..."

Her body still thrumming with need, Karina quickly straddled him and with a rapturous sigh sank down, taking him deep inside her. He felt different from Kotetsu, though the sensation was just as pleasurable. Barnaby rested his hands lightly on her hips. "Is this good?" To her side, Kotetsu propped himself up on one elbow as he gazed up at her warmly. His fingertips traced lazy spirals along her thigh, sending sparks of electricity racing through her. 

It was more than good. Smiling at both of them, Karina said, "It's perfect."


End file.
